Paul George was ruled out of the 76ers preseason contest with the Hawks after sustaining an injury to his left leg.
The 34-year-old, who inked a four-year, $212 million deal with Philadelphia in the offseason, is one of the league's most effective wing scorers. The 76ers are hoping his three-level skillset will slot seamlessly next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Here's the latest on George's status going forward.
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Paul George injury update
George suffered the injury at the 8:18 mark of the second quarter of Philadelphia and Atlanta's preseason duel. The nine-time All-Star surveilled Jalen Johnson as he was attempting to get to the lane.
COMPLETE speculation here but...
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) October 15, 2024
This didn't look comfortable for Paul George. Hopefully him sitting the second half is unrelated. https://t.co/Ode0cpYQNK pic.twitter.com/fakgqJUstA
George stiffened Johnson with a slight bump as they danced towards the nail. He won the battle — it was George's contact that knocked Johnson off course, coaxing the ball out of his grasp and into the waiting hands of KJ Martin.
George received battle scars for his efforts, though. As he planted his left leg, it bent awkwardly, looking to have hyperextended.
George immediately crumpled to the floor. He was summarily ruled out of the remainder of the contest with left knee hyperextension, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Gina Mizell.
Noted athletic trainer and Rotowire injury specialist Jeff Stotts noted that the Sixers' announcement did not serve as an official diagnosis. He'll have to receive official testing to determine how long he might be sidelined — if at all.
George does have a history of dealing with knee hyperextension. He was felled by the same injury to his right knee in 2023. George missed nine games as a result of the issue.
Dr. Michael S. George of the KSF Orthopaedic Center in Houston detailed some of the factors that can determine the severity of a hyperextension in a conversation with TSN's Gilbert McGregor:
"Several factors can impact the extent of the damage caused by the hyperextension, including the magnitude and direction of the force applied, and the flexibility of that particular athlete's knee."
It was revealed earlier on Monday that George was not planning to play in most back-to-backs, and this latest injury puts his availability for opening night squarely in question.
For what it's worth, George did not seem to be worried about the injury after the game:
Chatted with Paul George in the postgame locker room. He had a sleeve on the knee but was walking and said he is “not too concerned” about the prognosis. Will get treatment on it tonight and proceed from there. More coming later.
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) October 15, 2024
